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Kural #341

Virtue· அறம்Renunciation· துறவு

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Tamil text

யாதனின் யாதனின் நீங்கியான்

நோதல் அதனின் அதனின் இலன்

Yātaṉiṉ yātaṉiṉ nīṅkiyāṉ

Nōtal ataṉiṉ ataṉiṉ ilaṉ

English translation

Whatever one renounces, from that one is freed of sorrow.

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Explanation

The opening kural of this chapter establishes a direct formula: renunciation equals freedom from suffering. Each attachment we release liberates us from its associated pain.

விளக்கம்

எதை எதையெல்லாம் விட்டுவிடுகிறோமோ, அதாலேயே துன்பம் நீங்கும். துறவு அதிகாரத்தில் இது முக்கியம். ஆசையை விட்டால் கவலை இல்லை என்பதே நீதி.

Word meanings

  • யாதனின்yātaṉiṉfrom whatever
  • நீங்கியான்nīṅkiyāṉone who has departed
  • நோதல்nōtalsorrow/suffering
  • அதனின்ataṉiṉfrom that
  • இலன்ilaṉwithout/free

Story behind this kural

In a quiet village nestled beside a flowing river lived a potter named Arun. Arun poured his heart into crafting exquisite clay pots. Each pot was a piece of himself. When a pot cracked during firing, Arun would weep for days, his joy shattered. One day, a wise old woman visited Arun. She observed his sorrow and asked, “Why do you grieve so deeply over mere clay?” Arun replied, “Each pot is my creation. When it breaks, I feel a part of me is lost.” The old woman smiled. “Perhaps you cling too tightly to what is not permanent. Imagine, instead, the joy of creation itself, rather than ownership.” Arun pondered her words. He began to detach himself from the pots. He found joy in the making, not the keeping. When a pot broke, he simply smiled, and began anew. His sorrow faded, replaced by a quiet contentment.